This is a list of people who attended, or taught at, the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, including those who attended Milwaukee State Normal School, Wisconsin State Teacher’s College, Wisconsin State College–Milwaukee and the University of Wisconsin-Extension Center in Milwaukee:
Notable alumni
Academics
George R. Blumenthal (B.S. Physics), astrophysicist, 10th chancellor of University of California, Santa Cruz Robert R. Caldwell (1992 Ph.D. Physics), professor at Dartmouth College, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow of the American Physical Society Juan Carlos Campuzano (1978 Ph.D. Physics), fellow of American Physical Society, 2011 Buckley Prize winner,Argonne distinguished fellow Carlos Castillo-Chavez (1977 MS Mathematics), Regents and Joaquin Bustoz Jr. Professor at Arizona State University, fellow of American Mathematical Society Alok R. Chaturvedi (1989 Ph.D. MIS), professor of MIS at Purdue University, founder and director of Krannert School of Management SEAS Laboratory Jodi Cooley (1997 BS Math and Physics), Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow of the American Physical Society James Elsner (1988 Ph.D.), Earl and Sophia Shaw Professor of Geography at Florida State University Keith Hamm (1977 PhD Political Science), Edwards Professor of Political Science at Rice University Pamela E. Harris (PhD Math), inaugural class of Karen EDGE Fellows, Fellow of the American Mathematical Society William D. Haseman (MBA in MIS), Wisconsin Distinguished Professor of MIS at University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Gary Hoover (1993 B.A. economics), director of the Murphy Institute at Tulane University Timothy P. Johnson (MA Political science), Fellow of the American Statistical Association George L. Kelling (M.S.W.), professor of criminal justice at Rutgers University, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, and fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University Jack Kilby (1950 M.S. Electronic Engineering), Nobel Prize Laureate in Physics 2000, inventor of the integrated circuit Justin Marlowe (2004 PhD Political Science), Director of the Center for Municipal Finance, University of Illinois at Chicago, fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration Laura Mersini-Houghton (2000 PhD Physics), theoretical physicist-cosmologist and professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Prakash Panangaden (PhD), computer scientist, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Fellow of the Royal Society Marilyn Rantz (1992 Ph.D. Nursing), Living Legend of the American Academy of Nursing 2020 Havidan Rodriguez (1986 MA Sociology), sociologist, 20th president of the University at Albany, SUNY Jeanne W. Ross (PhD MIS), director of MIT Sloan School's MIT Center for Information Systems Research, founding editor of MIS Quarterly Executive, Fellow of the Association for Information Systems Jean Schwarzbauer (BS Chemistry), Eugene Higgins Professor of Molecular Biology at Princeton University Eugenie Scott (BS, MS), physical anthropologist, executive director of the National Center for Science Education Robert M. Stein (1977 PhD), Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science at Rice University, former Dean of Rice University School of Social Sciences Larry N. Vanderhoef (M.S. Biology), 5th chancellor of University of California, Davis Madeline Wade (2015 PhD Physics), Fellow of the American Physical Society Wayne A. Wiegand (1970 MA History), library and information scientist, the "dean of American library historians"
Architecture and urban planning Will Bruder (BA Fine Art), architect, Fellow of the American Institute of Architects Andres Mignucci (1979 BS Arch), architect and urbanist, Fellow of the American Institute of Architects Thomas Vonier (1974, M.Arch.), Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, RIBA, founding president of the Continental Europe chapter of American Institute of Architects, president of the International Union of Architects
Business
Steven Burd (1973 MA Economics), retired president and CEO of Safeway Inc. Steven Davis (1980 BA Business), CEO of Bob Evans Restaurants; former president of Long John Silver's and A&W Restaurants Roger Fitzsimonds (1960 BA Business, '71 MBA Finance), retired chairman and CEO, Firstar Corp (now U.S. Bank) Dennis R. Glass (1971 BA Business, '73 MBA), president and CEO of Lincoln National Corporation Gale E. Klappa (1972 BBA Communication), chairman, president and CEO of Wisconsin Energy Corporation Dennis J. Kuester (1966 BBA), former chairman and CEO of Marshall & Ilsley Corporation; member of the Federal Reserve Advisory Council William H. Lacy Jr. (1968, BBA), former president and chief executive officer, MGIC Investment Corp. Satya Nadella (1990 MS Computer Science), CEO of Microsoft Keith Nosbusch (MBA), president and CEO of Rockwell Automation, formerly Rockwell International Richard Notebaert (1983, MBA), former chairman and CEO, Qwest Communications International, Inc., and Ameritech Jack F. Reichert (1957), former president of Brunswick Corp. James L. Ziemer (1975 BBA, 1986 EMBA), former president and CEO of Harley-Davidson, Inc. Edward J. Zore (1968 BS Economics, 1970 MS Economics), president and CEO of Northwestern Mutual
Fine arts and pop culture
Film, television and performing arts Pamela Britton, Broadway, film and television actress (D.O.A.; My Favorite Martian) Frank Caliendo (1996 BA, Mass Communication-Broadcast Journalism), comedian Chukwudi Iwuji, actor Willem Dafoe (1974), actor Angna Enters, dancer, mime, painter, writer, novelist and playwright Trixie Mattel (2012 BFA, Music, Inter-Arts), drag queen, singer-songwriter, comedian and television personality Jim Rygiel (1977 BFA, Painting and Drawing), Oscar winner of digital effects for Lord of the Rings Chris M. Smith (1999 MFA, Film), filmmaker and founder of Bluemark Production and ZeroTV.com
Music Naima Adedapo (2007 BFA, Dance), American Idol finalist Victor DeLorenzo, drummer for Violent Femmes Frederick Hemke (1961 BS, Music Education), saxophonist Guy Hoffman (1978 BFA, Art), drummer and vocalist, former Violent Femmes and BoDeans member Andy Hurley (2014 BA, Committee Interdiciplinary), drummer for Fall Out Boy Jerome Kitzke (1978 BFA, Music), composer Willie Pickens (1958 BS Music Education), jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and educator Jessica Suchy-Pilalis, harpist, Byzantine singer and composer
Visual arts Michelle Grabner (1984 BFA Art, 1987 MA Art History), painter Sky Hopinka (MA) Guggenheim Fellowship, MacArthur Fellowship recipient Hanna Jubran (1980 BFA Art, 1983 MFA Sculpture), sculptor Denis Kitchen (1968 BS, Mass Communications-Journalism), underground comics artist, publisher, author, founder of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Dennis Kois (1995, BA), museum designer (Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian); Director, DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Boston, MA David Lenz (1963 BA, Art), painter Jan Serr (1968 MFA, Art), visual artist Donald George Vogl (1958 MS, Art Education), artist, retired professor of art at University of Notre Dame
Journalism and public media
Maureen Bunyan, television journalist, lead co-anchor at WJLA-TV Milton Coleman (1968 BFA), deputy managing editor of The Washington Post, president of Inter American Press Association; former president of American Society of News Editors Dorothy Fuldheim, journalist and anchor, "First Lady of television news" John K. Iglehart (1961 Journalism), founding editor of Health Affairs Derrick Zane Jackson, opinion columnist/associate editor for the Boston Globe, UCS fellow Ross A. Lewis (1923), Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonistAlumni list, UW-Milwaukee1935 Winners, pulitzer.org Jim Ott, WTMJ-TV meteorologist; Wisconsin state representative Raquel Rutledge (1990 Journalism), Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Terry Zahn, television reporter and anchorman
Literature Emily Ballou, Australian-American poet, novelist and screenwriter Robert Cialdini (1967 BS Psychology), psychologist and best-selling author Sandra Tabatha Cicero, author José Dalisay, Jr. (1988 Ph.D English), writer, poet, playwright John Gurda (1978 MA Cultural Geography), writer and narrator of The Making of Milwaukee; eight-time winner of the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Award of Merit Adrienne L. Kaeppler, anthropologist, curator of Oceanic Ethnology at the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution Caroline Knox, poet Marie Kohler (1979 MA English Literature), writer and playwright; member of the Kohler family of Wisconsin James Lowder (1999, MA Literary Studies), author and editor Mary Rose O'Reilley, poet, Walt Whitman Award recipient Lynne Rae Perkins (1991 MA), Newbery Award-winning writer Virginia Satir (1936 BA Education), author and psychotherapist Gordon Weaver, novelist and short-story writer, O. Henry Award recipient
Politics and government Luis E. Arreaga, U.S. ambassador to Iceland, U.S. ambassador to Guatemala Peter W. Barca, U.S. congressman and Wisconsin state representative from Kenosha Tim Carpenter, Wisconsin state senator from Milwaukee Alberta Darling, Wisconsin state representative 1990–1992, Wisconsin state senator, 1992–present from River Hills John E. Douglas, former special agent of U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), one of the first criminal profilers, and criminal psychology author Alberto Fujimori (1972 MS Mathematics), president of Peru, 1990–2000 Jeff Halper (Ph.D. in Cultural and Applied Anthropology), anthropologist, political activist, co-founder and director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions Jerry Kleczka, U.S. congressman 1984–2005 Chris Larson, Wisconsin state senator from Milwaukee Mary Lazich, president of the Wisconsin State Senate Henry Maier (1964 MA Political Science), Milwaukee mayor 1960–1988 Golda Meir (1917, Education), fourth prime minister of Israel; one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence of the State of Israel Paa Kwesi Nduom, former Minister for Economic Planning & Regional Cooperation, Energy, and Public Sector Reform of Republic of Ghana Jim Ott, Wisconsin state representative from Mequon Rudolph T. Randa, Article III federal judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Jim Risch, U.S. senator from Idaho Karen Sasahara, U.S. ambassador to Jordan, consul general in Jerusalem Brad Schimel (1987 BA Political Science), 44th Wisconsin attorney general Martin J. Schreiber (1960), 38th lieutenant governor of Wisconsin and 39th governor of Wisconsin Steve Sisolak (1974, BS Business), 30th governor of Nevada Paul Trombino III (BS civil engineering), director of the Iowa Department of Transportation, president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
Science and technology Michael Dhuey, electrical and computer engineer, co-inventor of the Macintosh II and the iPod Luther Graef (1961 MS Structural Engineering), founder of Graef Anhalt Schloemer & Associates Inc., former president of American Society of Civil Engineers Justin Jacobs (2005 MS Mathematics), recipient of Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers Phil Katz (1984, BS Computer Science), computer programmer known as the author of PKZIP Jack Kilby (1950 MS Electrical Engineering), engineer Satya Nadella (MS Computer Science), CEO of Microsoft Cheng Xu (1997 Ph.D Turbomachinery), aerodynamic design engineer, American Society of Mechanical Engineers fellow Scott Yanoff (1993 BS Computer Science), Internet pioneer
Sports Athletes
Christine Boskoff, world-class mountaineer, reached more record summits than any other female in history Tighe Dombrowski, MLS soccer player Ricky Franklin, basketball player